The lasting imprint of childhood disadvantage: cumulative histories of exposure to childhood adversity and trajectories of psychological distress in adulthood

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loanna S. Heidinger ◽  
Andrea E. Willson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Childhood Adversities ◽  
Childhood Disadvantage ◽  
The Life Course

This study contributes to the literature on the long-term effects of childhood disadvantage on mental health by estimating the association between patterns of cumulative childhood adversity on trajectories of psychological distress in adulthood. There is little research that investigates how compositional variations in the accumulation of childhood adversity may initiate distinct processes of disadvantage and differentially shape trajectories of psychological distress across the adult life course. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics’ Childhood Retrospective Circumstance Study and latent class analysis, we first identify distinct classes representing varied histories of exposure to childhood adversities using 25 indicators of adversity across multiple childhood domains. Next, the latent classes are included as predictors of trajectories of psychological distress in adulthood. The results demonstrate that patterns of experiences of childhood adversity are associated with higher levels of adult psychological distress that persists, and in some cases worsens, in adulthood, contributing to disparities in mental health across the life course.<br /><br />Key messages<br /><ul><li>Cumulative adversity during childhood has an enduring influence on adult psychological distress.</li><br /><li>Childhood adversities of various types and severities tend to co-occur, which is important for measures of cumulative childhood adversity to consider.</li><br /><li>Childhood adversity increases adult psychological distress, contributing to disparities in mental health across the life course.</li></ul>

Sexual orientation and mental health over the life course in a birth cohort

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 1348-1355 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Spittlehouse ◽  
J. M. Boden ◽  
L. J. Horwood
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Latent Class Analysis ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
The Life Course

AbstractBackgroundSexual minority individuals consistently report higher rates of mental disorder than heterosexuals. However, much of the research has methodological limitations related to the classification of sexuality, the use of cross-sectional data and problematic sampling procedures such as using convenience samples.MethodsWe used longitudinal data from a birth cohort enrolled in the Christchurch Health and Development Study (n = 1040). Latent class analysis was used to classify participants sexuality based on self-report data of sexual behaviour, attraction, identity and fantasy, gathered over five assessments between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Mental health and substance use outcome data were gathered at four assessments between the ages of 21 and 35 years. Potential covariate variables were collected during childhood.ResultsThe latent class analysis identified four groups interpreted as: ‘heterosexual’ 82%, ‘mostly heterosexual’ 12.6%, ‘bisexual’ 3.5% and ‘gay/lesbian’ 1.9%. In the sexual minority groups, women outnumbered men by at least 2:1. Pooled rates for mental health disorders of depression, anxiety disorders, suicidal ideation, cannabis abuse and total disorders, after adjustment for childhood covariate variables, were significantly higher in the sexual minority groups (p < 0.01). The strength of association between sexuality group and mental health outcomes did not differ according to sex. Fluidity in sexuality reports appeared unrelated to risk of mental health outcomes.ConclusionsOver the life course, membership of a sexual minority group is clearly associated with mental health problems of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation regardless of the age when same-sex attraction, behaviour, identity or fantasy is expressed.

scholarly journals A Multidimensional Construct of Religiosity Among Baby Boomers and Trajectories of Social Attitudes

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 506-507
Author(s):  
Joonsik Yoon ◽  
Woosang Hwang ◽  
Maria Brown ◽  
Merril Silverstein
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Gender Role ◽  
Baby Boomers ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Gender Role Attitudes ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
Multidimensional Construct ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract Although a number of studies have examined relationships between religiosity and social attitudes, less is known about how these relationships change over the life course using a multidimensional construct of religiosity among Baby Boomers. A multidimensional construct of religion allowed us to take a more person-centered approach to religiosity, whereby we examine the association between Baby Boomers with different types of religiosity and the trajectories of their political and gender role attitudes over a period of transition from early to later adulthood. We selected 798 young-adult Baby Boomers from the 1971 wave (mean age: 19 years) of the Longitudinal Study of Generations (LOSG) and tracked their political and gender role attitudes through until the 2016 wave (mean age: 64 years). Using latent class analysis, we identified four latent religious typologies: strongly religious, weakly religious, liberally religious, and privately religious. We found that Baby Boomers in the strongly religious class reported the most conservative political and gender role attitudes among the four classes over this period of transition. Baby Boomers in the privately religious class were conservative in their political and gender role attitudes than those in the weakly religious class. The liberally religious group generally reported the second most conservative political attitudes among the four identified groups, but reported the least conservative gender role attitudes of the four groups. Findings suggest that early religiosity may serve as a significant predictor affecting political and gender role attitudes throughout the adult life course.

scholarly journals Do socioeconomic inequalities in pain, psychological distress and oral health increase or decrease over the life course? Evidence from Sweden over 43 years of follow-up

2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Keller Celeste ◽  
Johan Fritzell
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Musculoskeletal Pain ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Socioeconomic Inequalities ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Life Course

BackgroundInequalities over the life course may increase due to accumulation of disadvantage or may decrease because ageing can work as a leveller. We report how absolute and relative socioeconomic inequalities in musculoskeletal pain, oral health and psychological distress evolve with ageing.MethodsData were combined from two nationally representative Swedish panel studies: the Swedish Level-of-Living Survey and the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old. Individuals were followed up to 43 years in six waves (1968, 1974, 1981, 1991/1992, 2000/2002, 2010/2011) from five cohorts: 1906–1915 (n=899), 1925–1934 (n=906), 1944–1953 (n=1154), 1957–1966 (n=923) and 1970–1981 (n=1199). The participants were 15–62 years at baseline. Three self-reported outcomes were measured as dichotomous variables: teeth not in good conditions, psychological distress and musculoskeletal pain. The fixed-income groups were: (A) never poor and (B) poor at least once in life. The relationship between ageing and the outcomes was smoothed with locally weighted ordinary least squares, and the relative and absolute gaps were calculated with Poisson regression using generalised estimating equations.ResultsAll outcomes were associated with ageing, birth cohort, sex and being poor at least once in live. Absolute inequalities increased up to the age of 45–64 years, and then they decreased. Relative inequalities were large already in individuals aged 15–25 years, showing a declining trend over the life course. Selective mortality did not change the results. The socioeconomic gap was larger for current poverty than for being poor at least once in life.ConclusionInequalities persist into very old age, though they are more salient in midlife for all three outcomes observed.

scholarly journals Classes of childhood adversities and their associations to the mental health of college undergraduates: a nationwide cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peigang Wang ◽  
Mohammedhamid Osman Kelifa ◽  
Bin Yu ◽  
Yinmei Yang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Childhood Adversities ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Background Childhood adversities pose deleterious consequences on health and well-being, but limited studies explore whether unique patterns of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact the mental health of emerging adults and the mediating role of current stressful events (CSEs). This study examined classes of ACEs and how they relate to CSEs, psychological distress, and subjective well-being among Eritrean College undergraduates. Methods Cross-sectional data on ACEs, CSEs, symptoms of psychological distress, and subjective well-being were collected from a national sample of college students (N = 507). We identified ACE patterns using latent class analysis and further examined whether CSEs mediated the effects of ACE classes on psychological distress and subjective well-being. Results 86.4% of the sample experienced at least one ACE. Collective violence, domestic violence, and physical abuse were the most common ACEs. Three subgroups, low ACEs (66.3%), household violence (19.1%), and multiple ACEs (14.6%) were identified. We found that relative to low ACEs, household violence (β = 0.142, 95% CI 0.046, 0.248) and multiple ACEs (β = 0.501, 95% CI 0.357, 0.666) indirectly influenced psychological distress through CSEs, and CSEs mediated the relationships between household violence (β = −0.096, 95% CI −0.176, −0.033), multiple ACEs (β = −0.338, 95% CI −0.498, −0.210), and subjective well-being. However, there were nonsignificant relative direct effects of ACE patterns on both psychological distress and subjective well-being. Conclusions Experiencing multiple ACEs and household violence in conjunction with CSEs significantly predict psychological distress and subjective well-being. Contextual interventions for the early identification of ACEs and the management of CSEs may play a crucial role in the prevention of mental health problems.

Exploring Workforce Participation Patterns and Chronic Diseases Among Middle-Aged Australian Men and Women Over the Life Course

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tazeen Majeed ◽  
Peta M. Forder ◽  
Gita Mishra ◽  
Hal Kendig ◽  
Julie E. Byles
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Workforce Participation ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Time Work ◽  
The Life Course

Objective: This study identified associations between chronic diseases (diabetes, asthma, depression, and arthritis) and workforce participation patterns with a gendered perspective. Method: We used data from 1,261 middle-aged participants of the Australian Life Histories and Health (LHH) Survey, aged 60 to 64 years in 2011. Latent class analysis identified dominant workforce patterns and associations between chronic diseases and these patterns were explored by multinomial regression models. Results: Diabetes, asthma, depression, and arthritis were less prevalent in men and women in class “mostly full-time work,” compared with other workforce patterns. The odds of “mostly full-time work” were lower for men reporting depression or arthritis, whereas among women, depression was associated with “increasing part-time work” after adjusting early and adult life factors. Discussion: The results strengthen the importance of gender focused policies aimed to promote and preserve health of young and middle-aged workers, and creating supportive environment for those with chronic health issues over the life course.

scholarly journals Adult life-course trajectories of psychological distress and economic outcomes in midlife during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Moulton ◽  
Alice Sullivan ◽  
Alissa Goodman ◽  
Sam Parsons ◽  
George Ploubidis
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Economic Shock ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Economic Inequalities

This study used two British birth cohorts to examine whether pre-pandemic trajectories of psychological distress were associated with a greater risk of changes in financial and employment situation during the pandemic, as well as increased need for government support and use of other methods to mitigate their economic situation. We identified 5 differential life-course trajectories of psychological distress from adolescence to midlife and explored their relation to changes in financial and employment circumstances at different stages during the pandemic from May 2020 to March 2021, applying multinomial logistic regression and controlling for numerous early life covariates. In addition, we ran modified Poisson models with robust standard errors to identify whether different trajectories were more likely to have been supported by the benefit system, payment holidays, borrowing and other methods of mitigating the economic shock. We found that despite the UK governments economic response package economic inequalities for pre-pandemic psychological distress trajectories with differential onset, severity and chronicity across the life-course were exacerbated by the COVID-19 economic shock. Furthermore, the subsequent cut in government support, alongside increases in the cost of living may widen economic inequalities for differential pre-pandemic psychological distress trajectories, which in turn may also worsen mental health. This work highlights, different pre-pandemic trajectories of psychological distress were more vulnerable to economic shock.

scholarly journals Mental health in higher education students and non-students: evidence from a nationally representative panel study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangeline Tabor ◽  
Praveetha Patalay ◽  
David Bann
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Lower Odds ◽  
Score Difference ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Nationally Representative

AbstractDespite increasing policy focus on mental health provision for higher education students, it is unclear whether they have worse mental health outcomes than their non-student peers. In a nationally-representative UK study spanning 2010–2019 (N = 11,519), 17–24 year olds who attended higher education had lower average psychological distress (GHQ score difference =  − 0.37, 95% CI − 0.60, − 0.08) and lower odds of case-level distress than those who did not (OR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.81, 1.02). Increases in distress between 2010 and 2019 were similar in both groups. Accessible mental health support outside higher education settings is necessary to prevent further widening of socioeconomic inequalities in mental health.

scholarly journals A Faith to Move Mountains? Childhood Abuse, Religious Change, and Mental Health at Midlife

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 461-461
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Religious Attendance ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Religious Importance ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract Of all the various forms of adversity experienced during childhood, childhood maltreatment (emotional and physical abuse) is shown to have the largest impacts on mental health and well-being. Yet we still have a limited understanding of why some victims of early maltreatment suffer immense mental health consequences later on in the life course, while others are able to cushion the blow of these early insults. Using two waves of data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), this study considers change in religiosity as a buffer across three dimensions for victims of childhood abuse: religious importance, attendance, and the specific act of seeking comfort through religion. Results suggest that increases in religious comfort during adulthood are positively associated with adult mental health for victims of abuse, while decreases in religious comfort over time were associated with worse mental health. Changes in religious attendance and religious importance were not significant associated with mental health for victims of abuse. Taken together, my results show that the stress-moderating effects of religion for victims of childhood maltreatment are contingent on the stability or increases or decreases in religiosity over the life course, which has been overlooked in previous work.

Socio-Economic Family Background and Adult Children’s Health in Germany: The Role of Intergenerational Transmission of Education

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Arránz Becker ◽  
Katharina Loter
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Intergenerational Transmission ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Intergenerational Transmission Of Education

Abstract This study examines consequences of parental education for adult children’s physical and mental health using panel data from the German Socio-Economic Panel study. Based on random-effects growth curve models (N = 15,144 West German respondents born between 1925 and 1998 aged 18–80), we estimate gender-, age-, and cohort-specific trajectories of physical and mental health components of the SF-12 questionnaire for low and high parental education measured biennially from 2002 to 2018. Findings suggest more persistent effects of parental education on physical than mental health. In particular, both daughters and sons of the lower educated group of parents (with neither parent qualified for university) exhibit markedly poorer physical health over the whole life course and worse mental health in mid-life and later life than those of higher educated parents. Thus, children’s health gradients conditional on parental education tend to widen with increasing age. Once children’s educational attainment is held constant, effects of parental education on children’s health mostly vanish. This suggests that in the strongly stratified West German context with its rather low social mobility, intergenerational transmission of education, which, according to our analyses, has been declining among younger cohorts, contributes to cementing long-term health inequalities across the life course.

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